Carousel
by randomcat23
Summary: A carousel is round it has no ending and no beginning.  There was no winning or losing.  There was only running. A missing part in Shigeki's walk during volume 13.


**Disclaimer**: Whistle is not mine and never will be.

**Spoilers:** Well, there aren't any big spoilers in the fic itself, but you would need to have read volumes nine to thirteen to understand when and where this takes place. The fic itself is during volume thirteen. If any of you have watched the anime, it takes place in episode 37 or 38, I believe.

**Notes: **It's just a short character blob thing, something like a drabble, but not quite. It's a missing part in Shigeki's walk during volume thirteen.

* * *

Shigeki quickly readjusted the sling on his arm before hoping down the nearest flight of stairs. His blonde hair matched the streams of sunlight that fought their way through the thick clouds. The shoes on his feet didn't make a sound as the forward jumped off the last step. He straightened himself and continued his walk.

As long as he got further from Josui, he didn't care where he ended up.

Without a word, Shigeki had left the team to their practice. He was no use there, not now anyway. His brown eyes looked over his bum arm and he sighed.

Houses passed by. Stores passed by. Shigeki's only continuous companion was the grass that grew along the sidewalk. He followed the path, kicking pebbles as he went. Just as the clouds changed above him, Shige couldn't keep his mind in one place.

The sudden end of the sidewalk drew his attention, however. A pause as he glanced around the park that the path had dumped him in.

A large building stood in the center of the small recreational area. The inside of the structure was consumed by a carousel. It was quite old; most likely it was built over sixty years ago. The horses pranced around in their circular path, the lights from the carousel dancing over their glass eyes.

Shigeki took a seat on the nearest bench; his shoulder was beginning to ache.

And while he waited for the pain to subside, Shige's brown eyes followed the horses on the carousel. There was one, in particular, that caught his gaze, and its black mane gave it a wild look. The expression on its face was that of strain, superiority and the need to beat the other competitors.

It was racing in losing battle. A carousel is round; it has no ending and no beginning. There was no winning or losing. There was only running.

With sudden realization, Shigeki laughed. He laughed loud, long and hard. The noise echoed through the empty park and remained ringing in his ears long after Shige stopped.

That's all he did was run. He ran from his past, from confrontations, from everything. And it hadn't done him any good. His past caught up with him. Naoki reappeared and brought back everything Shige had thought he had left behind.

No matter how fast, no matter how long he ran, everything came back. He wasn't losing, he wasn't winning. He was stuck in a damn circle, just like the carousel.

And the more he thought about it, the more pathetic Shige felt. He wasn't stuck on a pole like that carousel horse. So, why did he run?

"Because it's easier," he answered himself out loud. His reply came almost too easily.

The carousel came to a stop and the horse with a black mane stood right in front of Shigeki. If that horse could pop off that pole, turn around, and confront its followers, it would knock them clean off the track.

Or run into opposition and be turned down.

Shige glared at the glass eyes and turned away. He could follow his thoughts and confront everything but . . . no, he would not. That was too much of a change. He had his standards to live by and confronting his problems was not one of them.

Shigeki decided he needed to kick a soccer ball, anything to get away from the park; these thoughts of carousels and horses were annoying him.

Besides, he was better at running anyway.

* * *

Yay, Shigeki.

If it's not clear, right after this, Shige goes down to the riverbed and his Coach finds him. And then Naoki shows up and they have their awesome face off. It's one of my favorite parts of the whole manga. Haha, I'm such a fangirl.

Ok, enough ranting. Reviews are much appreciated! –randomcat23


End file.
